Little Orphan Anvil: The Complete Trilogy by Joseph Beekman (best contemporary novels .TXT) 📕

Kelsey, is that onceyou have entered the mansion, your timing is veryimportant. Secretly move to the upper floors. WhileSonny is busy distracting the lady, you’ll move to themain living quarters. Place the firefly jar in an openwindow facing out to the orchards. Then, find thecrystal shard atop the mantle and smash it! The firefly’sflickering light will be the key to know that you havedone this, and that I can proceed with the next phase.”

Kelsey nodded, a determined look in her eyes.“How will we know when to leave?” she asked.

“Once you are done in the mansion, I want bothof you out of there and make haste back to this place. Ifthis robot-droid—this iron ball of metal and wires I’veput my heart and soul into—does well in its part, thenyou’ll see our group grow by quite a few more souls!”

Sonny and Kelsey nodded in agreement. “Theorphans will be free and with us,” Sonny said warmly.

Ranger moved over to Sonny, nudging his noseinto his side.

“What about Ranger? What is he to do?” Sonnyasked with concern.

“He can come with me,” Will stated, looking overto Sonny’s dog. “I’ll keep him safe inside the barn.”

Ranger whimpered and moved over to Will’sside.

“I think the dog understands!” Will joked. Sonnyand Kelsey let out a chuckle.

And then Will grew serious; and after a couple ofminutes he looked at them all. “I know this task we areabout to undertake is of most importance. If the landsare ever to be safe again and hope to be restored to all,then what we do must not fail! I just want to say thatwhat you two are doing is truly remarkable! Don’t everforget that. Now let’s move out; and may the Spirits bewith us all!”

~Chapter X

~ A Promise of Peace

Through the dense underlying fog, Kelsey andSonny moved silently through the thick vines of thepumpkin orchards. Careful not to disturb any of theorphans they might encounter along their path, theykept low to the ground so they would be able to see anymovement before them under the blanket of fog. Everynow and again crunching noises were heard, as well asthe shuffled steps of orphans that tended to the vinesand the very large pumpkins.

Rounding a great pumpkin, the two almostcollided with an orphan’s muddy boots. Kelsey, thefront leader of the two, froze. She stopped Sonny’smovement when he bumped into her backside.

“Stay still!” she whispered over her shoulder.

They slowly looked upwards through the mist,and in the damp tangle of vines saw the pale face of anorphan girl. The little girl hummed as she pluckedcentipedes off the side of the big pumpkin. Takingnotice of the hollowed, ghostly gaze in her dark eyes,Kelsey—with a look of determination—waved Sonnyto the left and away from the helpless orphan.

Crawling again towards what she believed wouldbe the surest way to the mansion, Kelsey stopped amoment and carefully stood up. Parting a few vinesfrom her view, she saw the dim lights of the mansion’sback porch. She ducked back down and turned to faceSonny.

“Okay,” Kelsey said, still whispering, “I can seethe back porch of the mansion. You have to take to theright of me now, and go around to the front.” She gaveSonny a kiss on the cheek. “Good luck!”

Surprised by the kiss, Sonny just blinked; smittenand speechless.

“Okay, snap out of it and get going! We don’thave a lot of time!” Kelsey blurted out.

“Right!” Sonny said, blushing. “Good luck toyou, too!” he whispered to her. Then he moved out ofher sight, under the vines and towards the front of themansion.

After checking to be sure the firefly jar was stillsafely tucked inside her cover-alls, Kelsey continuedforward.

*******

As the front door of the mansion parted openwith a loud and terrible creaking noise, Sonny steppedback a few feet. Paralyzed with fear, he stood frozen asan old lady, dressed in a long, white flowing gown, andsilver hair that dangled down her back and shoulders,peered down at him.

“Um…hell—hello, there…” Sonny said, hisvoice quavering. “I—I am lost and with—withoutshelter…”

The lady blinked her narrow, dark eyes at himand opened the door all the way. She motioned himforward.

“Come in!” she hissed in a raspy voice. “Don’tget sick standing there all night; come in and get somewarmth. You sound like you’re frozen stiff!”

Sonny nodded. “Yes, miss, I surely am,” he lied,shading his fright. “Thank—thank you!”

He stepped forward, ducking under her arm thatheld the door open. She poked her head out into thenight and quickly looked about with suspicion. Thenhuffing to herself, she closed the door to the night.

*******

As Kelsey made her way down into the cellar,she felt the strange sensation of being back in thedeadwoods again. It was very dark, and she couldhardly breathe from the old and musty air in the place.

Taking out the firefly jar, she then held it up andcould see around her surroundings. The firefly buzzedabout inside the glass jar, creating funny shadowsacross the brick and stone walls. A clutter of chairs andbed-springs lay strewn about, and off towards one wall,she could see an old doorway covered with cobwebs.Wiping at her nose, and sniffling, she made her way tothe doorway.

Suddenly she heard the shuffle of feet behind her,and spun quickly around. The light reflected a wiry andpale orphan moving towards her, as if asleep. She frozewith fright. The orphan, a boy with long stringy hair,seemed to look right through her as he approached.

“Hey there!” she whispered loudly, waving thejar-light at him. “Can you see me here?”

The boy kept moving with no sign of him hearingor seeing her. She immediately turned for the door andpushed it open into a dark stairwell. Slamming the doorshut, she darted her gaze about and found another chairnearby. She braced it up against the doorknob, preventing the orphan boy from leaving.

I’ll get you out as soon as the spell is broken andwe’re all safe, she said to herself. Then she sprang upthe stairwell.

*******

“This here is the right place for lost children andorphans to be, young man,” the old lady said, as she ledSonny into the far right-wing of the mansion. Theirwalk was